Mississippi is famous for many kinds of food: fried fish, pigs’ ears, even—surprisingly, to those unfamiliar with the state’s history—hot tamales. Our state is a rich mixture of many different cultures, each of which brought with them their own food traditions to add to the melting pot of Mississippi cuisine.​But there’s one food you’re not as likely to find on the list of southern delicacies—Mississippi isn’t, at least from the outside looking in—exactly known for its hibachi grills. It kinda makes sense.

Nobody told the owner of Bonsai Japanese Steakhouse that you couldn’t get good hibachi in Mississippi, so she continues to serve it up every day alongside an impressive sushi menu. Many Mississippi natives will quickly inform you that folks around here tend to be a bit “set in their ways,” and that often extends to our food choices. Bonsai is betting on the idea that people are ready to try something different.